“NZ had this very dubious title of being most likely to prescribe puberty blockers”

We speak to the founder and Executive Director of Genspect Dr Stella O’Malley about the best available evidence for the care of children with gender dysphoria and gender-questioning youth. Dr O’Malley is a prominent international voice in the struggle for the rights of concerned parents and detransitioners. She has been on a speaking tour of Australia and NZ.

Dr Stella O’Malley’s qualifications include a B.A. in Counselling and Psychotherapy, an M.A. in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, diplomas in Youth Studies, Psychometric Testing, and Gender Identity Counselling and a PhD in Social Work, with research focused on parents’ perceptions of gender dysphoria in children and adolescents. Stella co-authored “When Kids Say They’re Trans” (2023) with fellow therapists Sasha Ayad and Lisa Marchiano, to offer a resource for parents who want their children to flourish, but do not believe that hasty medicalisation is the best way to ensure long-term health and well-being. Stella is the founder and Executive Director of Genspect, an international organisation that advocates for a healthy approach to sex and gender. Genspect powers many other initiatives in this field such as Stats for Gender, Beyond Trans, and Pitt Parents.